Megan Blocker

As you all know, we are lucky enough this week to have Spiro Baltas join us for an eG Spotlight Conversation about Starwich and about sandwich-making in general! For those of you eager for tidbits about our guest this week, we've gathered together a bit of information - some from Starwich's business plan, some from my personal experiences at their shops, and filled to bursting with some gorgeous pictures provided by the generous Starwich staff. You've probably already listened to Fat Guy's interview with Spiro Baltas and his Starwich colleagues, and now it's time to get down to business and learn more about the burgeoning chain and its take on the sandwich shop. Environment Each location follows the Starwich brand’s sense of style, substance, energy and fun. This sense is echoed by design elements of pastels, earth tones, luscious plants, glass tiles,simple textures, durable surfaces, natural wood floors, clean lines and balanced lighting. Starwich's E. 53rd Street location They have termed their seating areas “Living Rooms” and filled them with overstuffed leather couches and cubic ottomans. Low coffee tables attract groups that are interested in socializing or working on a project, and private tables offer the perfect setting for the single businessperson working quietly or the pair of friends engaging in intimate conversation. The conference tables in select locations accommodate large groups. Starwich's Wall Street location Hospitality Starwich’s staff is uniquely trained under the guidelines of The Starwich Service System, a training program that consists in part of standardized 5-day training rubrics and regular testing of all employees to ensure thorough knowledge of product and service standards. The staff is welcoming, warm and inviting. Trained to remember names, faces and specific orders, their kindness is conveyed through casual conversations that never contain the word “no.” The staff in action at the Wall Street location. Although hospitality is a mere detail to some competitors, it is their primary focus. In today’s fast-paced world, the guest is often ignored and taken for granted. Starwich not only encourages but requires their staff to go above and beyond for the guest. Amenities Amenities at each Starwich location include: • Free Wi-Fi Wireless Internet Access • Cell Phone Chargers • Fax Machines • Photocopiers Menu Starwich offers 18 signature salads and sandwiches in addition to a Create Your Own option, where guests may invent their own meal from the selection of over 120 ingredients such as soft shell crab, Kobe beef, filet mignon, and seasonal exotic vegetables. Young vegetable gratin sandwich Starwich embraces the opportunity to introduce to the general consumer ingredients formerly reserved for more exclusive, formal restaurants, and to translate the ingredients’ eclectic flavors to the portable and convenient formats of salads and sandwiches. Starwich hopes to change sandwich-ordering the way Starbucks revolutionized the ordering of coffee. In addition to the signature menu items created by their executive chef, Starwich patrons can create their own salads or sandwiches, using the in-line ordering card below as a guide: Starwich is dedicated to using only the freshest ingredients and only works with local farmers and purveyors who pride themselves in maintaining the highest standards of quality. The ingredients are the foundation of the product. Black olive crusted seared tuna salad Lobster salad All food is made from scratch, with items like dressing and soups prepared at the area commissary, and every sandwich or salad made to order. Nothing is pre-processed or preserved. Starwich uses only open flame stoves, ovens, and toasters. Nothing is ever microwaved or put under heat lamps. All sandwiches are toasted, to slightly crisp the bread and elevate the flavors. Pomegranate-juniper glazed chicken sandwich Breakfast and dessert are also served – pastries are made from scratch at the local commissary, and include tarts, croissants, cookies, and bread pudding. Additionally, Starwich currently offers an array of coffee drinks brewed from Illy Café, and are pursuing a co-branding opportunity for their own private-label coffee. Also served are homemade hot chocolate, spiced apple cider, and a selection of teas. Drinks at the 42nd Street location So, if any of that has pulled you in (and with pictures like that, how could it not?), please join us in our eG Conversation with Spiro Baltas, already in progress! Starwich co-founder Spiro Baltas

Add one for me! I bought the new Cooking of Southwest France today with a B&N card my friend Lisa gave me for Christmas. I am SO excited. I'm still reading the introduction - but like a kid on Christmas morning, I have to admit that I did skip ahead and peek at the pictures. I can't wait to start cooking from this one.

Chufi, that is GORGEOUS! Is it a recipe of your own creation? Just beautiful.

Yes, something about Ina Garten and Mario Batali's love child, no?

Though not nearly as kitchen-y, one of my favorites for cheap plates and platters is the Crate and Barrel outlet - especially good for seasonal stuff that you can't bring yourself to pay full price for, and also for serving stuff. The actual kitchen stuff is eh - but the napkins and table settings are good buys!

My little brother (straight, yes) is ADDICTED to GG. I bought him seasons 1 and 2 on DVD for Christmas. I have him over for dinner on Tuesday and we watch it together.

Sazji, those pastries look DELICIOUS. Especially the strawberry tart and the babas. Wow. Did you taste everything?

Me, too - and trust me, the coffee just put it over the top. Tonight was also an ice cream-y night, but after the Coldstone pint (gulp), I decided to be good. I got a Tasti-D-Lite, coffee and cream. Sigh. I really want some Haagen Dazs. Luckily, living in a third-floor walkup keeps you from running out to satisfy every craving.

This may be my favorite line from that site... Um, yes. And here we are.

I think this is what Valentine's Day is, if it's celebrated in the right spirit, just like any other holiday. I do not think, however, in the majority of cases that I have seen, that this is the case. I could be completely wrong on this. I have no real opinion on the markup of food - it's kind of obnoxious, and I also feel weird going out on Valentine's Day, whether or not I'm in a couple - it's like some sort of weird group date. I don't know - it kinda freaks me out. That said, I love Valentine's Day cards and the idea of celebrating. But maybe I don't like/get the whole public aspect because I'm so private about celebrating my own life.

← Wait...are you saying that's NOT what it's about? Huh. K ← Me? I'm saying that's totally what it's about, and I loved the way Lindacakes put it. Sigh. Public is the key word, though - it's all about showing your love off to the world.

And this, my friends, is why I am still single. Men are evil. FFB, if you want a full report via PM, let me know!

So, a Coldstone Creamery opened up less than a block from my apartment a couple summers ago, but I'd never been. Tonight I was walking home thinking, I don't really feel like eating dinner, but I could go for some ice cream. My usual fix is Haagen Dazs coffee, but I decided to mix it up and finally try Coldstone. I got a pint of coffee with chocolate chips and oreos mixed in. The ice cream itself isn't fabulous, though it's not terrible, either - but oreos with coffee ice cream? GENIUS.

Yetty, I love that this is what you're served at the office. Today for lunch, a few colleagues and I had a lunchtime pow-wow and ordered in Wu Liang Ye for fuel. Shredded smoked beef with spicy capsicum, prawns with chili asparagus, broccoli in garlic sauce, eggplant in garlic sauce, veggie mai fun, veggie dumplings, and pork dumplings. You know, just a little food.

Luke and Lorelai and breakfast in bed - delivered by the breakfast santa!

Wow, those are pretty bad. Ouchers.

My all-time favorite way to eat a Wahoo? When I was fifteen, my grandparents took my entire extended family (all 8 cousins, one pair of parents and my single mom) to Turks and Caicos for a week-long vacation. We stayed on Provodenciales in a small hotel - no Club Med for these intrepid folks! We went parasailing one day, snorkeling out on the reefs another, and one day, we took two boats and went deep-sea fishing. I don't remember which boat brought home the biggest haul (which probably means it wasn't my boat and I've suppressed the memory of losing ), but I do remember that we caught a huge amount of wahoo. We took it to the restaurant we'd eaten at for New Year's Eve (when we were seated next to Denzel Washington and his wife, who I'm sure were so thrilled to have a rowdy bunch of hooligans right there), and they cooked it up for us two ways - fried and grilled. It was delicious. And, to this day, when Pops gets excited, he shouts "Wahooooo!" So, no, I have no suggestions or recommendations (sorry!), but I do want to thank you for bringing back memories. I wonder where my cocktail napkin with Denzel's signature went?

Well, I do know that some of the concern over changing the blue laws in New York (by allowing liquor to be sold on Sundays) was that smaller businesses would not be able to afford to stay open seven days a week, and would therefore be steamrolled by larger establishments. Hence the provision that the stores still have to be closed for at least one day out of seven. A lot of stores have picked Monday, or are still closedon Sundays. Might be the same kind of thinking...though it seems kind of silly when we're talking about an hour.

Then we don't want to know about it! BTW, the restaurant list included Brooklyn spots, too, as does the term "NYC."

Yes! You should check out Chufi's dinner posts and Dutch cooking thread for inspiration - she makes the most amazing, creative mashes!

The latest edition of New York Magazine lists a few romantic restaurants that still had Valentine's Day reservations for two available as of press time, which led me to wonder... What are my fellow NYC eGulleteers up to tonight? I'm watching Pride and Prejudice and Gilmore Girls and ordering in - celebrating singledom with my kind of TV (No sharing that remote, woo-hoo!) and whatever greasy food strikes my fancy. Would love to hear other folks' plans - coupled or not!

New York Magazine Digest - 2/13/06 Reviews Gilty Pleasure In a review sure to delight those who feel the attention Gilt has received so far has not been focused on the food, Adam Platt goes into great detail about, among other things, the Pekin Duck, the milk-fed chicken, and the loup-de-mer. While noting that the atmosphere and pricing are a bit over-the-top, Platt awards Liebrandt three stars, acknowledging that a more varied menu might bring four. Openings and Buzz Openings for the Week of February 13, 2006 Included this week are El Centro, Little Dishes, and El Dar, among others. El Centro: El Dar: Pasanella and Son Vintners: Little Dishes: Features Last Minute Table For Two Spots with romantic settings and available reservations include Oceana and Fizz. Two For Fondue Places all over the city that serve fondue, that Valentine's Day favorite. The Layered Look The magazine examines the current rise of strudel in popularity, partly spurred by Nora Ephron's Op-Ed about the cabbage strudel from Andre's Cafe. Spots serving Strudel in addition to the UES Hungarian spot include Del Posto and The Modern. Papaya King: Juicer Melvin Major A Q&A session with Melvin Major, LifeThyme Natural Market's most popular juicer. Pets or Meat? Inspired by the recent spate of tabloid photos showing huge rabbits, the magazine provides a list of places serving lapin. Cocoa Loco A list of spots where you can find superior hot chocolate. Ask Gael Cocoa-flavored Gnocchi? Do I Dare? Gael Greene hits Spiga, the latest addition to the Upper West Side's burgeoning retaurant culture. Those chocolate-kissed gnocchi are "the hit of the night," but not every dish makes it that far.

This was my dessert last night - isn't it precious? I bought it at Two Little Red Hens, a bakery about a block from my apartment (they have a shop in Park Slope as well). The cupcake underneath the delicious and adorable frosting was banana - a bit dry, but good. Tonight I had one of their "Brooklyn Blackout" cupcakes, and it was better, but not nearly as pretty.

Best thread title - ever.